Monday, October 14, 2013

Oct 8 -- Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

We got to see another beautiful dawn out on the balloon field. It was actually a bit warmer than previous days and there was not a breath of a breeze.

Our balloon buddy, Linda, manned the fan to blow it up. Todd and some of his crew ventured inside the balloon to try and patch a tear. Balloons work better without extraneous holes.

Lots of colors and shapes lifted off, including our two balloons.

The prevailing winds aloft were a bit brisker than they were on the field, and it moved the balloons off toward the west. The last time it flew, Tod just jumped across the street and landed in the field in front of our RV. This time, the little fireman and the hydrant took off for a good, long flight and we all hopped in the trucks to go chase them. There are signs on the backs of a lot of chase vehicles that read: This vehicle subject to sudden stops, turns and moments of indecision.

After consulting radios, maps and the GPS, we tracked Tod down to a neighborhood, where four moms had just put their kids on the school bus. They dragged the balloon to a cul de sac and helped us roll it up. They said if you live in Albuquerque, you get to know about balloons.

After we got the fireman tucked in his bag, we tracked down the hydrant in a construction zone, where they didn’t need our help at all because they had the construction crew and all their lovely equipment. I think a front end loader should be mandatory equipment for chase crews.

In the afternoon, Gerry and I took the tram up to the Sandia peaks. The views were lovely, but the highlight moment was when we were on the way down and passed a tram car with a hitch-hiker riding on the top! That was the way the staff got to work. He had a great view!